Control for electric scoreboards



Nov. 10, 1936. H, SPICER 2,060,431

CONTROL FOR ELECTRIC SCOREBOARDS Filed June 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Nov. 10, 1936. M. H. SPICER 2,060,431

CONTROL FOR ELECTRIC SCOREBOARDS Filed June 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .87 abhor w Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to means for controlling the illumination ofelectric lamps used on score boards, in advertising matter or messagetransmitting devices where the message is spelled out by means ofilluminated letters or numerals, and the general object of the inventionis the provision of improved and relatively simple mechanism adapted tobe operated by means of manually depressible keys whereby numbers orletters may be formed from incandescent electric lamps on a supportingframe or board.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedcontrol mechanism or box, in which the parts are so constructed andarranged that when any particular key is depressed to form a row ornumber, the key will be held down until released and whereby thesuccessive depression of any other key will automatically release thepreviously depressed key.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a control box embodyingmy invention showing the keys in elevation, the number one key beingdepressed, the view also showing in elevation a bank or frame with lampsilluminated to form the numeral one;

Figurer2 is a section through the control box taken at right angles toFigure 1 and showing two adjacent keys of a line of keys, one of thesekeys being depressed and the other elevated, the view showingdiagrammatically the manner in which the depression of the second keyilluminates the lamps forming the numeral two, all of the other lamps ofthe bank except those connected to these keys being omitted forclearness.

In order that my improved control mechanism or box may be clearlyunderstood, I have illustrated with it in Fig. 1 of the drawings a frameII supporting a plurality of incandescent bulbs l3 used for formingnumerals, there being fortyfive bulbs arranged in five vertical rows.These electric light bulbs l3 may be disposed each in a separatecompartment, that is, in a compartment which is separated from the nextadjacent compartment or the bulbs may project out from the face of theboard or frame and not be separated from each other by interveningpartitions. With the forty-five bulbs arranged as shown in Figure 1, anyof the numerals from naught to nine may be formed by illuminatingcertain predetermined lamps. For convenience, these lamps are numberedfrom one to forty-five in the drawings and it will be seen that in orderto form the numeral one, all the lamps of the middle vertical row mustbe illuminated, that for forming the number two, the lamps which areindicated in Figure 2 as being illuminated, must be energized, etc. Anyof the numerals from naught to nine may be formed by a properillumination of the lamps.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the control box includes two metallic plates15 and I6 which are slotted for the reception of metallic plungers l1.These plungers are shaped from fiat and relatively thin material andhave the form shown in Figure 2. Each plunger has a key at one end andthe shank of each plunger on one side edge is formed with a shoulder I8and directly opposite this shoulder IS with an outwardly projectingshoulder l9, the upper face of which is beveled at 20. The lower end ofeach plunger below the plate l6 carries upon it a head 2| formed incross section in the shape of a wedge. The keys of the several plungersare designated 22. The plungers are urged upward by any suitable meansand I haveshown for this purpose a long coiled spring 23 attached tobrackets 24 projecting downward from the plate Hi, the shank of eachplunger adjacent its lower end being formed with an aperture 25 throughwhich the coiled spring extends. It will be seen that when any oneplunger is depressed, the spring 23 will be tensioned and will tend tourge the plunger upward as soon as released.

It will be noted that the provision of a single coil spring for all ofthe plungers or keys considerably cheapens the cost of the structureand, furthermore, permits fiat keys to be used which may be made bystamping the keys out. If individual coil springs were used, there wouldhave to be one for each key and, under ordinary circumstances, the keyswould have to have round shanks around which the coil springs would bedisposed. This is entirely avoided by the use of the single spring 23.It will also be noted that the spring 23 is electrically connectedthrough the brackets 24 with the plate [6, which receives current, aswill be later described, so that the spring 23 acts as a distributor ofelectrical current for the plungers or keys, thus securing a much betterapplication of current to the keys than if the plates l and I6 weresolely relied on for this purpose. By the provision of the brackets 24and 24*, the depression of one key will pull the spring down directlybetween the brackets and will not exert a downward pull on any other ofthe keys or plungers, as would be the case were there no brackets 24 Forthe purpose of holding each plunger downward after it is depressed, Iprovide for the whole row of plungers an elongated pawl 26 pivoted at21, the pawl being urged toward its set of plungers by means of thespring 28. It will be seen from Figure 2 that when one set of plungersis raised, the common pawl 26 will extend beneath all of the shouldersI9 and the spring 23 will hold all of these pawls raised with theshoulder [8 of each pawl bearing against the upper plate l5 and actingas a stop but that when any one plunger is depressed, it will force outthe corresponding pawl 26 and when the plunger has passed the pawl, thepawl 26 will spring back and engage the beveled shoulder of thedepressed plunger, thus holding that particular plunger downward. Itwill likewise be seen that this plunger will be held depressed by thepawl until another plunger of the same set is depressed. This depressionof the second plunger will force the pawl 26 outward from above thepreviously depressed plunger and the previously depressed plunger willpromptly rise. Thus when any one plunger of a set has been depressed, itwill stay depressed until another plunger is depressed, whereupon thefirst plunger is released.

Coacting with the V-shaped contact heads 2|, which are of metal andconductive, are a series of jacks 29, consisting of two resilientfingers held spaced from each other but when a plunger is depressed, thehead 2| of this plunger engages between the fingers and forms anelectrical connectlon between the plungers and the fingers of the jack.These jacks are supported upon an insulating base or board designatedgenerally 3|] and forming part of the control box. Because of thewedge-shaped heads 2|, these resilient fingers tend, as soon as the pawl26 has been released, to urge the key quickly upward, thus giving to theplunger or key a greater acceleration than would be the case if only themain spring 23 were used, this being desirable, inasmuch as it resultsin the more rapid break of the contacts and greatly minimizes arcing.

The plates l5 and iii are connected by a wire 3| to one side of thesecondary coil 32 of a 110 V.-transformer designated generally 33. Thewire 34 leads from the coil 32 to the sockets of the several lamps I3.The base of each socket is connected by wires 35 and 36 leading tocertain of the spring fingers 29. As seen in Figure 2, a plurality ofspring fingers 29 are associated with each plunger and these selectedspring fingers or jacks are electrically connected to all of the lampsthat go to make up any particular numeral. Thus, for instance, thesecond plunger of the series which is marked 1 and which, whendepressed, is designed to energize those lamps which will form thenumeral 1, on the score board, has nine fingers all connected to thebases of the sockets for the lamps 3, 8, I3, I8, 23, 28, 33, 38 and 43in Figure 1 so that when this plunger I is depressed, the aforesaidlamps will all be illuminated and the numeral 1 will be displayed. Thespring fingers for the key No. 2, which, when depressed, will cause thenumeral 2 to be formed upon the score board, are seventeen in number andare connected up to the lamps which in Figure 2 are indicated as beingenergized.

It is not believed necessary to state the various lamps which will belighted in order to form the numerals naught, three, five, six, etc.,three illustrations of numerals having been given which are believed tobe sufiicient.

It will be seen, of course, that each lamp is connected to the source ofcurrent and to the spring fingers or jacks 29 of selected plungers.

A switch 31 is disposed in the line so as to cut off the currententirely whenever desired. With the construction illustrated, it isevident that the lights of a frame or section may be readily energizedand deenergized to form any numeral desired or any combination of twonumerals by depressing the appropriate plungers and it is equallyobvious that if it is desired to set up combinations of three figures,three sets of keys and three sections of lamps would be used for thepurpose.

It will be, of course, understood that in Figure 1, the wiring for thelamps 8, l3, I8, 23, 28, 33, 38 and 43 are omitted for clearness andthat only the wiring to the lamp 3 is shown, the plunger 2| of number Ikey, of course, having wires connecting it with the lamps 8, l3, I8, 23,28, 33, 38 and 43 so that when this key is depressed, the lamps formingthe numeral 1 will be energized.

While I have shown a bank of lamps arranged in transverse groups of 5,some of the lamps are never lighted, as, for instance, I, ll, 29, 34, 32and 39. Such lamps. need not be placed in a bank at all but areillustrated merely to show the regularity of the numbering of the lampsin groups of five and to fill out the bank.

It will be, of course, understood that the spring 23 extends looselythrough the intermediate brackets 24 as shown in Figure l and,therefore, the spring will receive some tension throughout its entirelength when the plunger is depressed. However, since the spring isclosely wound, nearly all of the tension will be exerted between thebrackets, the friction involved by the contact or the spring with thebrackets acting as a retardation to those portions of the spring on eachside beyond the key which is depressed. In actual practice, the plungerneed not be depressed more than a quarter of an inch so that thistension is not very extensive.

It will also be obvious that instead of the numerals, the letters of thealphabet may be displayed by lamps and the lamps designed to form aparticular letter readily controlled by a particular key in the samemanner as heretofore described for numbers.

The plungers may be arranged on the plan of the standard key board of atypewriter, either the number key board or the letter key board, andwith the proper electrical connections on the principle of thosedescribed herein, it will be possible for a typist to flash a letter ata time, thus spelling out words or transmitting a given signal as far asthe letters are visible. Such a bank of lights could be used foradvertising in store windows while the operator would be unseen and sucha bank of lights could be arranged in connection with any score boardand thus information be given concerning the game which was being scoredno matter how much noise was being made.

While I do not wish to be limited to the use of a long spring 23 for thepurpose of urging the plungers upward except as may be defined in theclaims, yet by providing this long spring, no tension is present in theassembly of the unit and also in case of repairs due to breakage of thespring, the repairs may be greatly facilitated.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction as regards thecontrol, it is obvious that minor changes might be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention except as defined in theappended claims.

Further it will be understood that the arrangements of the lamps in asection or frame can be changed so that letters or other devices. mightbe displayed without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A mechanism of the character described including a longitudinalseries of depressible fiat key switches, each having a wedge-shaped headat its lower end, a plurality of pairs of spaced resilient fingersconstituting jacks with which the heads are adapted to engage when thekeys are depressed to thus close a selected circuit and a singlelongitudinally extending coil spring anchored at its ends and extendingthrough all of the keys and acting to yieldingly hold the keys in araised position, a plate having slots through which the keys pass, andbrackets extending from said plate disposed between each pair of keysand through which the spring loosely passes.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a longitudinal series ofdepressible fiat keys, a pair of spaced plates having slots throughwhich the keys pass, each key having a wedge-shaped circuit closing headat its inner end, pairs of spaced resilient fingers constituting jacksbetween which the triangular heads of the corresponding keys may beinserted when the key is depressed, means carried by the outermost plateand coacting with the keys to hold any one key depressed but releasingthe depressed key upon the depression of any other key, resilient meansacting to hold the keys in a projected position and resist thedepression of the keys, the spring fingers acting upon the wedge-shapedheads to urge the heads upward quickly and assist the action of the coilspring when a key is released.

MYRLE H. SPICER.

